Today I got a text from my dear friend, Suz: "This is from Rylee. [her daughter] --Mary should get a cold cap for when she does chemotherapy". When I asked her what a cold cap was, she replied, "Google it". Having nothing better to do (see previous posts), I did, and found out that:
A cold cap is a helmet-looking covering for the head which is cooled down to a very cold temp (sorry, can't remember the degrees). You wear this during and for a few hours following chemo. and it's purpose is to restrict the blood vessels leading to the hair follicles and wallah! no hair loss as a result of chemo.!!! Sounds like a plan to me!
Read a good many testimonials, and yes, some "pooh-poohed" it. But the positives far outweighed the negatives. In fact, the negatives reminded me of my cranky stepmother telling me to "just endure it" when I had blinding headaches as a teen...when I knew full well that a few aspirin did the trick nicely. (My thinking was, "why should I suffer needlessly?)
That's how I feel about the cold cap. Why should I have to walk around bald (and depressed about it) if I do not have to? So I am going to research this out further. Most of the testimonials by users said it really boosted their moral to go through chemo looking normal.
OH, but that's not the end of the story...THEN I got a call from a nurse practitioner from my Health Insurance [yes, I'm already suspicious of her motives]. She said she was "assigned" to my case. She is there to help me with any questions or concerns I may have about my treatments, etc. So, I of course, asked her about the cold cap...she had never even heard of it!!! That made me feel really confident in her ability to offer me any useful help through this...not.
Let me explain that from what I have read, this device has been used all over the world for many years now, and the US is still "testing" to see if it is "safe". There are no known bad effects from any of the testing that has been done. But I am sure there is some kind of monetary reason for them withholding the information from the American Public.
The Insurance Nurse emailed me later in the day to inform me that there is no coverage for this device at this time. (Major Bummer, but no big surprise there). Having been a salesperson in the past, I do not easily take "No" for an answer...I shall keep on it.
Then, there was a post on my Facebook for something called the "Vibe" machine, which is supposed to cure all kinds of malladies. I don't know how it got posted on my Facebook, because I did not put it there...that makes my brain want to explode. So I went to the link and read all about the "Vibe" machine, and don't have a strong opinion one way or the other.
Just for the record, I am not willing to mess around with my health and healing at this point. I know a LOT of people, men and women, who have undergone chemotherapy for cancer, and while it seems barbaric and torturous in many respects, it's saved a lot of peoples' lives. I would not be adverse to trying some kinds of "natural" cures in addition to chemo, but I don't intend to try and outwit known science...I'm just not that smart at this point.
What I am going to need to do is hunker down and get through it. I am going to need a lot of "gumption" and even more faith in my ability to heal and survive. I need all of the prayers, and good thoughts and positive vibes I can collect. In other words, I still need encouragement, and love to get through this. I BELIEVE IN THOSE THINGS. Even hearing second-hand that people are thinking about me gives me strength. So keep it coming. Give me a call. Don't EVER think you will be bothering me! Even when I happen to get nudged out of a nap, I DON'T CARE, because I have plenty of time to sleep, believe me. And I LOVE to see you when you come to visit me. It makes me feel alive, and takes my mind off of myself for a little while.
And maybe, just maybe, the cold cap may keep my Brain from Exploding!
Love you all!
Mary
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